Keyboard-video-mouse systems (i.e., systems employing a keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switching device) represent a class of switching systems designed to provide user(s) centralized control and monitoring of one or more host computers from a control terminal (e.g., keyboard, monitor and mouse). The control terminal is frequently located remotely from the host computers. Through the KVM switching device, the user(s) can select and switch between the one or more host computers to operate the one or more host computers with the control terminal. The KVM switching device routes audio-visual data of the selected host computer to the control terminal so that the user(s) may view and/or listen to the audio-visual data at the control terminal. The KVM switching device also routes the signals from peripheral input devices of the control terminal (e.g., a keyboard and/or a mouse of the control terminal) to the respective peripheral input device ports of the selected host computer. From the host computer's perspective, it appears as if the control terminal's peripheral input devices are directly coupled to the host computer. The user(s) may select which host computer to operate from the control terminal with a user interface of the KVM system that is configured to control the KVM switching device.
Accordingly, a need or potential for benefit exists for an apparatus or system that can permit a user to pair a user interface with a KVM switching device and/or to configure the user interface to permit the user interface to control the KVM switching device.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements or signals, electrically, mechanically and/or otherwise. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled together, but not be mechanically or otherwise coupled together; two or more mechanical elements may be mechanically coupled together, but not be electrically or otherwise coupled together; two or more electrical elements may be mechanically coupled together, but not be electrically or otherwise coupled together. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant.
“Electrical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include coupling involving any electrical signal, whether a power signal, a data signal, and/or other types or combinations of electrical signals. “Mechanical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include mechanical coupling of all types.
The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.